Publication Date: October 12, 2021
The Kingdom of Luka is controlled by the decrees of God-King Eliezer. Break one and become a twisted monster or serve forever, loyal to the crown. From the author of Frith Chronicles and Star Marque Rising, comes a new fantasy epic.
When God-King Eliezer utters a decree, it’s the law of the land, no matter how subtle or outrageous. Those who break the decrees suffer the god-king’s curse—their bodies twist into nightmarish monsters of devastation and hunger, forever a blight upon humanity.
The magic knows when a decree is violated, the moment it happens.
There are no exceptions. No loopholes. No escape.
Artemisia, a mysterious girl on the run from God-King Eliezer’s Holy Guard, is cursed and doesn’t know why. Fortunately, she has yet to change into a fell beast, but that isn’t a comfort. She could transform at any moment, and the resulting monster would destroy everything she cares for.
Desperate and fearful, Artemisia finds herself captured by a group of monster hunters led by Rylion Nasos, a man of superhuman strength and skill. When Artemisia displays magic of her own—magic that threatens God-King Eliezer’s rule—an agreement is made to confront the crown, despite the horrors it could unleash.
Cursed be the man who disobeys the god-king’s direct command.
In the Kingdom of Luka, breaking a decree delivers a curse, which then leads to an uncertain descent into a monster-like stage of uncontrollable murder and mayhem. Author Shami Stovall delivers a fantasy epic in The Final Decree.
Artemisia has watched as the cursed around her have been claimed by the darkness. The difference is that she seems to have been born cursed. On the run from being hunted by soldiers, she finds shelter with the very people who hunt and kill those who have been overtaken by the curse and turn into the Forsaken. Rylion Nasos is a hunter who has pledged to put a stop to the wicked creatures tearing through the land. He and Artemisia share a powerful bond threatened by the curse.
The author weaves a tale filled with monsters and great battles featuring mystical gifts. Readers get introduced to a new land filled with vivid images thanks to the author’s skillful descriptions. From the beginning, I was invested in Artemisia as a character and wanted to see her evolve. In fact, I found all of the characters to be interesting and well developed. With a solid foundation for a new fantasy world and compelling characters, the only thing remaining was action, which the author delivered repeatedly.
While fantasy may not be the first genre that I turn to, The Final Decree grabbed my attention and maintained it throughout the entire story. With chapters alternating to highlight the point of view of a different character, the book provides an escape into a world where love and determination lead the search for the truth about Artemisia’s curse and an ultimate showdown of epic proportions.
Shami Stovall is a multi-award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction, with several best-selling novels under her belt. Before that, she taught history and criminal law at the college level, and loved every second. When she’s not reading fascinating articles and books about ancient China or the Byzantine Empire, Stovall can be found playing way too many video games, especially RPGs and tactics simulators.
If you want to contact her, you can do so at the following locations:
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